The Parable of The Unforgiving Servant

Introduction

The word “parable” (παραβολε) comes from two Greek words, para which mean“alongside”, and ballo which means “to throw”. It literally means “throw alongside”.

Parables were meant to jolt people out of their complacency. Grab our attention! (46 parable in the Gospels = this series, looking at the parables in Matthew’s Gospel)

Goal: Think more Kingdom minded.

Cognition (thinking) is a term referring to the mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and comprehension. These cognitive processes include thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem-solving. Revolutionary - life changing for many!!

Week 1: The Parable of the Sower (the parable that helps us understand all other parables)

The Sower, The Seed and The Soil (4 different responses to God’s Word)

Path, Rocky place, Thorns, and Good Soil

According to this parable, there is a 1 out of 4 chance that God’s word will take root and produce fruit.

(Remember that said, the Christian life is about bearing fruit).

Matthew 7:16 NIV

16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

Colossians 1:10 NIV

10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,

Joke: A farmer located a large field in rough shape but saw the potential. Bought the field, rocks, weeds, trees and roots. Using his tractor he cleared the field, dug up rocks, took down trees and dug up their roots, burned the debris and finally tilled the ground and planted wheat seed. This turned out to be the kind of field that yielded 100 fold. One day a neighbor stopped by while the farmer was out in the field and complimented him on his beautiful field saying “you and God did a great job!” To which the farmer responded; “yes, but you should have seen it when God owned it!”

Today: The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant (Turn to Matthew 18:21)

Sandwiched between Jesus’ teaching on church discipline and marriage and divorce is this powerful teaching on forgiveness.

Forgiveness is the key to unity in the church as well as a long, healthy and happy marriage!

Matthew 18:21–22 NIV

21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

The last of the 5 interactions Jesus has with Peter in Matthew.

Matthew 14:28-31 “Why did you doubt?”

Matthew 16:16-19 “Who do people say I am?” Peter - “You are the Christ, the son of the living God!”

In today’s text: “How many x’s should we forgive?”

Rabbinical teaching 3 x’s - Peter more than double - Thought he was being generous (7 for perfection)

Don’t push literalism where you shouldn’t = 490x’s? No, an infinite amount of x’s

Peter trying to figure out the system - not about a number but a way of life

Luke 17:1–4 NLT

1 One day Jesus said to his disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting! 2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin. 3 So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive. 4 Even if that person wrongs you seven times a day and each time turns again and asks forgiveness, you must forgive.”

Example: Fitbit or Apple Watch (forgiveness tracker)

It’s been said that:

“Forgiveness reflects the highest human virtue because it so clearly reflects the character of God.” (Unknown)

A person who forgives emulates Godly character.

Forgiveness is the whole point of the Gospel! It’s THE POINT!

Ephesians 4:32 NIV

32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Mark 11:25 NIV

25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”

Jesus then illustrates forgiveness with this parable:

Matthew 18:23–27 NIV

23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. 25 Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. 26 “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ 27 The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

The King Has Forgiven You

Who is the King? (King in most stories?) Who is the Servant?

Important lesson**

Servant (Greek dulos) - slave; metaph., one who gives himself up to another's will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing his cause among men

**We are servants of God, not in partnership with Him. Surrender to His will!

The servant owed the King the equivalent of millions of dollars. (billions today) The point = more than he could ever pay back.

We tend to think in Western culture that forgiveness is automatic, it’s God’s duty to forgive.

Voltaire - 18th century philosopher “Age of Enlightenment” A harsh critic of Christianity

Once asked: “What if you are wrong and you have to stand before God?” He responded; “God will forgive - He must, because it is what He does.”

1 John 1:9 NIV

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

The servant falls on his knees and “begged” the king = “filled with pity … released him and forgave his debt”

We owe an ENORMOUS debt and God forgave us!

Matthew 18:28–35 NIV

28 “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. 29 “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’ 30 “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. 31 When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened. 32 “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. 33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ 34 In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. 35 “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”

The King Has Forgiven You to Teach You How to Forgive.

Forgiveness is HUGE in the Bible!!

We all have this sense of justice within us. All throughout the Bible God says: “Let me take care of Justice, you just forgive and love!”

It’s my job to deal with vengeance and judgement!! You just love and forgive!

Romans 12 is a powerful reminder of how we should conduct ourselves.

Romans 12:14 NIV

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Romans 12:16 NIV

16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.

Romans 12:17 NIV

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.

Romans 12:19 NIV

19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.

Romans 12:20 NIV

20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Romans 12:21 NIV

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Example: We all want mercy, but not as easy to give. (Merging traffic = we want mercy but don’t want to return it).

C.S. Lewis said, “Forgiveness is a beautiful word, until you have something to forgive.”

Matthew 6:14–15 NIV

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

The point of this parable is for us to grasp the extent of God’s forgiveness towards us. When we understand this, we will be more willing to forgive others.

C.S. Lewis said “I’ve already learned how to forgive an infinite amount of times, I just have to look in the mirror.”

Un-forgiveness is toxic to our soul!

Example: Drinking deadly poison and expecting the other person to die.

“Any emotion you bury, you bury alive.” Mark Clark

Closing

(1) God wants us to realize once again the extent that we’ve been forgiven.

“I owed a debt could not, He paid a debt He did not owe!”

(2) God wants us to begin to walk in forgiveness. We all have someone that we need to forgive.

Example: Forgiveness is like breathing in air. You must exhale in order to take in more.

*Pray

*Counseling

**Notice the position of both servants “

Extra Notes:

The New American Commentary

Here appears the fifth and last of the uniquely Matthean insertions involving Peter in chaps. 14–18. As with 14:28–31 and 16:16–19, the account begins positively enough but ends with Peter still needing significant correction.1

1 Blomberg, C. (1992). Matthew (Vol. 22, p. 281). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Seven is a common Biblical number, goes beyond the Rabbinic max of forgiving 3x’s.

David Guzik’s Commentary

Peter hoped to sound extremely loving by suggesting 7 x’s

Matthew 1. Peter’s Question about Forgiveness and Jesus’ Answer (21–22)

“The Rabbis discussed this question, and recommended not more than three times … Peter’s seven times is therefore generous, but Jesus’ reply does away with all limits and calculations.” (France)

Life Application Bible Commentary, Matthew Jesus Tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor / 18:21–35 / 120

Jesus puts no limits on forgiveness, not even the generous boundaries that Peter implies. No one can ever say, “I’ve forgiven enough; now it’s time to hold a grudge.”

Life Application Bible Commentary, Matthew Jesus Tells the Parable of the Unforgiving Debtor / 18:21–35 / 120

If you refuse to work toward forgiveness, you develop handicapped emotions. You’ll stunt your growth with grudges, no matter how important they seem to you.

Make a list of your top five hurts. Who must be forgiven to relieve these burdens? How can forgiveness be initiated? Who might help? Participate in Communion next time with a heart free from grudges, your own forgiveness reflecting the greater forgiveness of God toward you.

The king = Jesus The forgiven Servant = Us The Servant who get thrown in Jail = The people we are supposed to forgive but we don't